Box with reinforcing prtoecting shoe



g- 11, 1954 P. A. OPROMOLLA BOX WITH REINFORCING PROTECTING SHOE FiledApril 26, 1963 INVENTOR.

PETE/P A- OPE/7011A ATTORNEY j I J United States Patent 3,144,156 BOXWITH RETNFORCING PROTECTING SHOE Peter A. ()promolla, 48 Columbine Ave.,Merrick, N.Y. Filed Apr. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 275,946 1 Claim. (Cl. 21769)This invention relates to boxes, and more particularly to wooden cratesor carriers, such as used for handling and shipping milk bottles orcartons.

Boxes of the character indicated must be of sturdy and comparativelyinexpensive construction and be capable of sliding on the flooring oftrucks without catching and breakage. It is known practice to furnishthe bottom of such boxes with two or more generally parallel metalshoeing members, extending the length of the box and serving as skids toprotect the wood of the box and also to provide rounded edges or ends tofacilitate passing over irregularities. Boxes of this type arecomparatively expensive, and it is the general object of the presentinvention to provide a box having comparable advantages in operation butrequiring the use of much less metal and providing for a very simpleattachment of the metal shoeing elements.

In my previous Patent No. 3,071,278, granted I an. 1, 1963, forImprovements in Box, I have disclosed an improved form of shoe forapplication to the corners of a box bottom, the shoe fitting in diagonalslots adjacent the corners in such a way as to protect the wood whilenot weakening the same due to the slotting. While this type ofprotection is entirely suitable for most applications, some heavy dutyuses require further protection, and in particular protection of the boxends between the corners thereof, and it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved form of shoe for this purpose.

With these objects and still others which will appear in the followingdescription in mind, the invention consists in the combinations andarrangements of parts and details of construction which will now firstbe fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing and thenbe more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a bottom isometric view of the box of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top isometric View of a metallic shoe elementutilized in the box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a modifiedform of box construction.

The box 1 may be used for a variety of purposes but a typical use is forholding a number of milk bottles or cartons, as, for example twelvequart milk bottles. The side walls 2, end walls 3 and bottom 4 arecomposed of rectangular wooden panels, each of which may be a singlepiece or formed of two or more boards joined together as by means oftongue, grooving and glueing connections in the usual way. The end wallshave hand holes 5 (FIG. 1) for lifting and holding the box. The boxbottom 4 may be of less width than the end walls 3, stopping slightlyshort of the side walls 2 and may be rebated as shown in FIG. 3 to agreater distance than the thickness of the end wall 3, so that the boxesstack with the bottom of the upper box fitting inside the walls of asubjacent box. The rebating of the box bottom (FIG. 3) forms ahorizontal surface terminating in a vertical shoulder 11. Parallel tothe end walls 3 of the box and to the vertical shoulder 11 is a slot 12and a generally channel-shaped shoe or reinforch ing and protectingmember 13 which has an inner lip or depending flange 14 which fitswithin the slot 12.

The web 15 of this shoe extends to the shoulder 11 and outer flange 16covers this shoulder extending up to the surface 10 previouslymentioned, being continued by a horizontal flange extension 17 whichextends almost to the end of the box bottom.

The shoe as shown in FIG. 2 is conveniently rolled out of sheet metalstrip of suitable gauge and metal (as, for example, about 22 gaugegalvanized or otherwise surface protected sheet steel). Dimples 18 areformed at convenient intervals, such as every five inches or so alongthe shoe 13. These dimples extend downwardly from the surface 15generally and are recessed centrally as indicated at 19 so as to becentrally flush with the web 15 and are punched with rivet holes 20. Theflange extension 17 is also punched out with marginal apertures 21 foraccommodating nails used to hold the box bottom to the box end walls 3and these apertures may be somewhat more closely spaced together towardthe ends of the shoe 13 than at its middle. As will be understood, theshoe 13 may be formed as a strip of any desired length in a continuousmanner and then stamped, punched and cut to form elements as shown inFIG. 2 of convenient lengths corresponding to the size of box to bereinforced and protected.

In assembling the shoe 13 to the box bottom 4, the box bottom is drilledand countersunk as at 22, 23 in FIG. 3 forming rivet holes at the samespacing as the rivet holes 20 in the shoe 13. Rivets 24 positioned inthe bores 22 and countersinks 23 as shown and passing through the holes20 have their ends 25 riveted or peened over so as to join the shoe 13securely to the box bottom 4. As will be understood, the grain of thewood in the box bottom a will be generally parallel to the side walls 2and, hence, at right angles to the length of the shoe 13. While therebating at 10, 11 and slotting at 12 somewhat Weaken the box bottom 4,the reinforcement afforded by the shoe 13 eliminates this weakening eflect, due to distribution of stress lengthwise of the shoe 13 providingmaximum protection against splitting or breaking of the wood at the endsof the box bottom crosswise to the grain at its narrow section overlyingthe shoulder 11. The dimple 18 extending below the rivet end 25 protectsthe latter and provides a smooth sliding surface for the box, while theweb 15 and shoulder flange 11 provide complete protection against impactof the bottom ends of the box bottom 4.

The shoe 13 may be assembled in the box bottom 4 before or after it isjoined to the end walls 3. In most cases, a protecting metal strap 26will be used at each end of the box, the strap running over the top andaround the sides and being secured to the box at suitable intervals bynails 27. The bottom nails 27 may pass through the strap 26 (FIG. 3) andapertures 21 or the flange 17 between apertures joining strap, shoe, boxbottom and end walls together. Where the straps 26 are not employed, thestructure may be fastened together by nails 27 as indicated in FIG. 4.

The apertures 21 in the shoe preferably extend out to the edge of theflange 17 thereof, so that the location of these apertures can be seenwhile nailing the strip 20 in place. The strip 20 may be slightly backof the edge of the flange 17, as indicated in FIG. 3, or in line with orslightly overlapping the same, depending on the method of application ofthe strip. The interruption of the edge of flange 17 by the apertures 21also prevents the transmission of stress along the flange in the case ofimpact against its edge at any point.

Where the shoe is assembled to the box after securing the bottom 4 tothe end Walls 3, a nail 27 may be used (as shown in FIG. 4) for holdingthe shoe in place while the rivets 24 are inserted and riveted over.Where the shoe is assembled to the bottom in advance, a shorter nail ortack 27 may be used to tack the shoe temporarily in place whileriveting.

What is claimed is:

A rectangular Wooden carrier box comprising side Walls, end Walls and abottom, the bottom being rebated at its ends for a distance somewhatgreater than the thickness of the end Walls and having slots parallel toand spaced from the said rebated ends, the slotting being to a lessdepth than the rebating, and reinforcing protecting shoes, comprisingchannel members, each such shoe having a web portion secured to the boxbottom, a narrow flange received in the said slot, a wider flangecovering the box end adjacent the rebating and lying inwardly of theplane of the inner surface of the box end, and a flange parallel to itsweb portion substantially covering the rebated end of the box bottom,the Web portion of the shoe having centrally recessed domes providingsliding surfaces, and

riveting through the box bottom and recesses of the said domes, securingthe shoe to the box bottom, the last mentioned flange having a pluralityof apertures, nails accommodated by said apertures and securing the boxbottom to the adjacent end Wall, and metal strapping around the ends ofthe box, overlying the last mentioned flange and secured to the boxbottom and end by said nails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,432,359 Rosenthal Oct. 17, 1922 2,850,204 Rehrig Sept. 2, 19583,071,278 Opromolla Jan. 1, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 207,755 Austria Feb.25, 1960

